Bhubaneswar: The number of participants for the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention has witnessed a sharp rise with only a few days left for the three-day convention at Bhubaneswar. The daily registrations number has surged to more than 150 in the last couple of days, compared to 40-50 requests a week ago, as per data shared by officials from Department of Home, Government of Odisha. The Government of Odisha has set a target of attracting 3,500 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from around 50 nations for the convention that starts from January 8. The total attendees for the three-day conclave would be around 7,500 including local participation, according to a state government projection. Registration requests to attend the event have predominantly come from Indian residents of Southeast Asian nations, followed by Gulf countries and Europe. Participants of more than 30 countries have shown interest to attend the biennial event at the state capital. Odisha has a 482-km long coastline facing Southeast Asia. With its maiden attempt to organise the NRI event, Government of Odisha aims to attract large investment in different sectors such as tourism and port-based infrastructure development.
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Huge interest from Southeast Asian nations, followed by Gulf countries and Europe
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Government of Odisha expects 3,500 NRIs from 50 countries
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NRIs of Kerala, Maharashtra and UP dominate the registration pool along with Odisha
Among the interested NRIs, those from Kerala, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh dominate alongside a significant number from Odisha itself. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), ever since its inception in 2003 during the prime ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has been hosted by cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Varanasi, Bengaluru and Indore along with a virtual mode convention in 2021. Bhubaneswar is organising the flagship event for the first time for its 2025 edition. The city civic authority along with key departments of the state government has planned several events coinciding with the conclave such as Night Flea market, Adivasi Fair & and a Food Festival.
The rising interest of NRI participation for the upcoming event also reflected in increased cab and hotel bookings for key tourist destinations of Puri and Konark. “Majority of our tour and travel partners have confirmed increased cab and vacation stay booking during the convention period. The numbers will only rise as the convention day nears,” said Gagan Sarangi, Chairman, Odisha chapter of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). The 18th PBD Conclave in Odisha perfectly aligns with the Government of India’s ‘Act East Policy’, which aims to boost economic activity in India’s eastern regions by showcasing their investment potentials. The convention will kick off with the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 8. The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be inaugurated on the second day by the Honourable Prime Minister. The convention will culminate with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards ceremony on the third day. Honourable President of India Shrimati Droupadi Murmu will grace the occasion and deliver a valedictory address.